1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mirror assembly such as a door mirror or the like which is mounted to a door of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Door mirrors, which are mounted to the outer side of the doors at the driver""s seat side and at the front passenger""s seat side, are an example of equipment which a vehicle occupant uses to confirm the region substantially at the rear side of the vehicle.
Such a door mirror has a visor which is formed as a box form or a bowl form which opens substantially toward the rear of the vehicle, and which houses a mirror main body (a mirror) in a vicinity of the opening portion. A stay cover is provided between the visor and the vehicle, and abase passes through the stay cover. The base is mechanically connected to both the visor and the vehicle body, and the visor is connected to the vehicle body by the base.
Wind pressure while the vehicle is traveling is applied to the visor of this type of door mirror. Thus, the base is formed as a substantial box form whose one substantially longitudinal direction end is open, and ensures sufficient strength with respect to wind pressure while reducing costs and weight.
The load of the visor, the mirror main body, and (in the case of a structure in which the mirror main body is rotated by a motor or the like) the motor or the like, i.e., load directed in a substantially downward direction of the vehicle, is applied to the connecting portion side of the base with the vehicle.
Coping with such a load by, for example, making the thickness of the base thicker at portions thereof, has been conceived of. However, costs increase due to making the thickness of the base thicker at portions thereof to the extent that sufficient strength can be ensured.
In view of the aforementioned, an object of the present invention is to provide a mirror assembly which, at a low cost, can ensure sufficient strength with respect to wind pressure while the vehicle is traveling and with respect to an overall load.
A first aspect of the present invention is a mirror assembly for mounting to a vehicle comprising: a visor, a mirror main body accommodated in the visor, the mirror main body including a reflecting surface, and a base provided between the vehicle and the visor, connecting the visor to the vehicle when the mirror assembly is mounted thereto, the base including a base main body comprising: (a) a plurality of front and rear walls opposing one another along a substantially longitudinal direction of the vehicle; (b) a plurality of upper and lower walls which oppose one another along a substantially vertical direction of the vehicle and which are joined integrally to the front and rear walls at a side of the front and rear walls opposite the vehicle; (c) a first rib which is provided between the front and rear walls for supplementing strength of the base main body along the substantially vertical direction of the vehicle; and (d) a second rib which provided between the upper and lower walls for supplementing strength of the base main body along the substantially longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
In accordance with the mirror assembly of the above-described structure, the visor, which houses the mirror main body, is connected to the vehicle via the base.
Here, the vehicle front side of the base main body which forms the base, at which vehicle front side load of the visor, the mirror main body, and the like is applied, is formed by the plurality of front and rear walls which face front and back. Thus, the strength in a direction along the substantially vehicle vertical direction is improved. Moreover, the first rib is provided between the front and rear walls, and the strength in the direction along the substantially vehicle vertical direction is improved even more.
In contrast, at the portion between the front and rear walls and the visor, at which portion wind pressure is applied while the vehicle is traveling, the base main body is formed by the plurality of upper and lower walls which face upward and downward. Thus, the strength in a direction along the substantially vehicle longitudinal direction is improved. Moreover, the second rib is provided between the upper and lower walls, and the strength in the direction along the substantially vehicle longitudinal direction is improved even more.
In the present mirror assembly, strength in the necessary directions is supplemented at the portions necessary for the above-described structure, and thus, costs can be decreased.
In the present invention, preferably, a substantially vehicle lower side end portion of a portion of the base main body, at which portion the front and rear walls are provided, is open.
In the mirror assembly of the above-described structure, at the portion where the front and rear walls, which form the base main body, are provided, the substantially vehicle lower side is open. Thus, even if rain water enters into or water drops due to dew condensation adhere to the region between the front and rear walls, such water drops fall down and can be drained.
A second aspect of the present invention is an assembly for mounting to a vehicle and supporting a mirror, the assembly comprising: a visor and a mirror driving portion housed therein, and the visor being formed integrally in a shape corresponding generally to a box which opens rearwardly relative to the vehicle when the assembly is mounted thereto; a base including a generally triangular, plate-shaped base portion, and a base main body comprising a substantially lower side that is open and connected to the base portion along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle when mounted thereto, and a pair of front and rear walls which are disposed along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and which oppose one another, and a pair of upper and lower walls joined to the front and rear walls and which oppose one another along a vertical direction of the vehicle, and a first rib provided between the front and rear walls, and a second rib provided between the upper and lower walls; and a stay cover provided between the visor and the base, and including a base portion shaped substantially similarly to the base portion of the base and larger than the base portion of the base.
A third aspect of the present invention is a mirror assembly for mounting to a vehicle exterior, the mirror assembly comprising: (a) a visor housing a mirror; and (b) abase including: (i) a vehicle side section comprising a first rib and front and rear walls defining an open region therebetween, the first rib being disposed in the open region, the front and rear walls and first rib projecting from the vehicle side section substantially parallel to one another, the vehicle side section including an end adapted for mounting to the vehicle exterior with the front and rear walls and first rib all projecting from the vehicle side section in a direction substantially orthogonal to the vehicle longitudinal and lateral axes; and (ii) a visor side section extending from the vehicle side section, the visor side section including a second rib and upper and lower walls defining another open region, the second rib being disposed in the other open region, the upper and lower walls and the second rib projecting from the visor side section in a direction substantially orthogonal to the projection direction of the front and rear walls and first rib, and the visor side section including an end adapted for connection to the visor.